Scottish Executive

Animal Welfare

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations have been made to Her Majesty's Government about the impact of World Trade Organisation rules on animal welfare.

Ross Finnie: Officials from the Scottish Executive are working closely with the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs officials to try and ensure that the World Trade Organisation will take animal welfare issues into consideration when setting trade rules.

Child Care

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-29391 by Ms Margaret Curran on 30 September 2002, whether the commitment to spend £20 million on child care in 2004-05 is properly a matter for new ministers after the election to the Parliament in May 2003.

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-29391 by Ms Margaret Curran on 30 September 2002, why the commitment to spend £20 million on child care in 2004-05 was made at that time.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Scottish Executive announced the results of the Scottish Budget 2003-06 on 12 September, including its spending proposals for the three years, in order to meet the written agreement with the Parliament to present a draft budget by 20 September 2002. The commitment to include £20 million in the social justice budget for child care provision across 2004-06 was therefore made at this time.

Child Care

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-29391 by Ms Margaret Curran on 30 September, whether the £20 million for child care is guaranteed to be spent in 2004-05.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Scottish Executive is committed to spending £10 million for child care provision in 2004-05 and £10 million in 2005-06.

Child Care

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-29391 by Ms Margaret Curran on 30 September 2002, whether the further announcements referred to about the £20 million spending on child care will be made in advance of the Parliament election in May 2003.

Ms Margaret Curran: I shall make further announcements about how this funding will be used in due course.

Climate Change

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to assist local authorities in contributing to meet its climate change targets.

Allan Wilson: The Executive is working in partnership with the UK Government to deliver greenhouse gas emissions reductions required by the Kyoto Protocol and in moving towards the UK domestic goal of a 20% reduction in CO 2 emissions by 2010.

  Local authorities have an important role in delivering this commitment and can contribute in a number of ways. Along with COSLA and SOLACE, the Executive published last year Community Leadership and Climate Change in Scotland, which offers guidance to chief executives of Scottish local authorities on action they can take to tackle climate change. The Executive is happy to work with local authorities to develop the response strategies outlined in that document. In this respect, I was pleased earlier this year to have been able to support publication of Aberdeen City Council's Climate Change Action Plan.

  Another avenue which local authorities may explore is through the Scottish Energy Efficiency Office (SEEO) which works with public and private sector organisations to improve their energy efficiency. Local authorities are eligible for a free energy audit and can also benefit from the Scottish Clean Energy Demonstration Scheme. This scheme offers grants to assist and encourage the development, demonstration, application and replication of energy efficiency measures and renewable energy technologies within Scotland. SEEO is also assisting local authorities in their investigations into innovative measures to improve energy efficiency.

  We will continue to look for opportunities to deliver our climate change commitments through working in partnership with local authorities and others in Scotland.

Credit Unions

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many credit unions have been created in each year since May 1999 and what information it has received about the number of applications to register as a credit union in each of those years.

Ms Margaret Curran: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-32282 on 17 December 2002. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

  Detailed figures for new credit unions are not held centrally but with the registering body, the Financial Services Authority.

Dental Health

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time for oral surgery has been in each NHS board area in each of the last three years.

Malcolm Chisholm: The median waiting times for in-patient and day case treatment in oral surgery, in each of the last three years, by NHS board of residence, are given in the following table.

  NHSScotland: Median Waiting Times for In-patient and Day Case Treatment1 in Oral Surgery2, by NHS Board of Residence: Years Ending 31 March 2000, 2001 and 2002.

  


NHS Board 
  

Median Wait (Days) 
  



31 March 2000 
  

31 March 2001 
  

31 March 2002 
  



Argyll and Clyde 
  

35 
  

28 
  

27 
  



Ayrshire and Arran 
  

76 
  

77 
  

52 
  



Borders 
  

21 
  

21 
  

21 
  



Dumfries and Galloway 
  

83 
  

68 
  

42 
  



Fife 
  

73 
  

62 
  

62 
  



Forth Valley 
  

42 
  

52 
  

37 
  



Grampian 
  

18 
  

18 
  

19 
  



Greater Glasgow 
  

34 
  

30 
  

29 
  



Highland 
  

66 
  

35 
  

79 
  



Lanarkshire 
  

35 
  

28 
  

25 
  



Lothian3


- 
  

- 
  

- 
  



Orkney 
  

14 
  

14 
  

14 
  



Shetland 
  

7 
  

6 
  

7 
  



Tayside 
  

8 
  

10 
  

14 
  



Western Isles 
  

14 
  

50 
  

27 
  



Scotland3


28 
  

28 
  

25 
  



  Source: ISD, Scotland. SMR01.

  Notes:

  1. Scottish residents admitted from the in-patient/day case waiting list.

  2. Includes most maxillofacial surgery.

  3. Information for NHS Lothian is currently unavailable due to recording difficulties at hospitals in Lothian.

E-Government

Elaine Thomson (Aberdeen North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made towards the 2005 electronic service delivery target.

The Executive has supplied the following corrected answer:

Mr Andy Kerr: We have today published the Executive’s 3rd Electronic Service Delivery Progress Report. Over all, 80% of services provided by the Executive, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies are now available online to some degree. This represents a significant increase since the last report which was published in May this year and is partly due to the inclusion of a number of services which were logged from the outset as being at second stage or above, and were therefore originally omitted from the count. This third report now also includes a column indicating the stage of development these services have reached. Copies of the report have been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre. It is also available on the 21st Century Government website and the OpenScotland website.

Education

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average number of half days of unauthorised absence was per (a) primary and (b) secondary school pupil due to (i) truancy and (ii) temporary exclusion in (1) 1998-99, (2) 1999-2000, (3) 2000-01 and (4) 2001-02, broken down by local authority area.

Cathy Jamieson: The information requested has been placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 25643).

Fire Safety

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any consideration is being given to the reform of fire safety legislation.

Hugh Henry: The need to reform fire safety legislation was among a range of issues considered and recommendations made in the policy paper The Scottish Fire Service of The Future which we published on 29 April. We do not, however, plan to bring forward proposals for legislative reform on this subject during the current Parliament.

Genetically-Modified Crops

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-31293 by Ross Finnie on 19 November 2002, whether foods and food ingredients derived from (a) maize and maize crops and (b) agricultural seeds entering the European Union in Scotland are tested (i) at the point of entry and (ii) subsequently for the presence of GM varieties (1) AgrEvo T14 Liberty Link, (2) AgrEvo CBH351 StarLink, (3) DeKalb DBT418 Bt Xtra, (4) DeKalb DLL25 GR, (5) Monsanto GA21 Roundup Ready, (6) Monsanto NK603 Roundup Ready, (7) Monsanto Mon801, (8) Monsanto Mon802, (9) Monsanto Mon805, (10) Monsanto Mon809, (11) Monsanto Mon830, (12) Monsanto Mon831, (13) Monsanto Mon832, (14) Pioneer 676, (15) Pioneer 678, (16) Pioneer 680, (17) AgrEvoMS3 and (18) AgrEvoMS6.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: I am advised by the Food Standards Agency that the varieties of maize referred to in the question do not currently have consent for food use in the EU, nor for commercial planting.

  The enforcement of food law is primarily a matter for local authorities, who also conduct food sampling programmes. In 2002, the UK element of the EC Food Sampling Programme included checks on certain foodstuffs to ensure that if they contain GM ingredients that they comply with appropriate labelling rules.

  Proposals on the traceability and labelling of GMOs have recently been agreed by the European Council, whereby operators will be required to provide a list of all GMOs which are in a shipment on its arrival in the EU. If adopted, these rules are likely to come into force late in 2003.

Hospitals

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS hospital wards remained mixed sex on 31 October 2002, broken down by NHS board area.

Malcolm Chisholm: Very substantial progress has been made towards achieving the target of ending mixed sex hospital wards. At present, of the 1,630 wards in Scotland, 1,596 are fully compliant. This represents 98% compliance. Plans are in place to make the remaining wards compliant in the shortest possible time. In the meantime, all trusts have agreed with their local Health Council a local policy to ensure that the dignity and privacy of patients is respected at all times in these wards.

  The current breakdown is as follows.

  


NHS Board 
  

No. of Wards 
  

No. Not Compliant 
  



Argyll and Clyde 
  

145 
  

3 
  



Ayrshire and Arran 
  

167 
  

0 
  



Borders 
  

43 
  

0 
  



Dumfries and Galloway 
  

45 
  

1 
  



Fife 
  

84 
  

1 
  



Forth Valley 
  

79 
  

0 
  



Grampian 
  

176 
  

2 
  



Greater Glasgow 
  

262 
  

3 
  



Highland 
  

67 
  

0 
  



Lanarkshire 
  

143 
  

0 
  



Lothian 
  

229 
  

20 
  



Tayside 
  

154 
  

4 
  



Orkney 
  

6 
  

0 
  



Shetland 
  

8 
  

0 
  



Western Isles 
  

11 
  

0 
  



State Hospital 
  

11 
  

0 
  



Total 
  

1,630 
  

34 
  



Percentage 
  

100% 
  

98%

Housing

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18432 by Jackie Baillie on 5 October 2001, what protection is given to any pre-existing right to buy entitlement of tenants in houses transferred to a registered social landlord that has achieved charitable status since the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 received Royal Assent

Ms Margaret Curran: Registered social landlords which qualify for charitable status after the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 received Royal Assent will not be exempt from the right to buy as a result of obtaining charitable status. As a result, tenants of houses transferred to a registered social landlord in this situation will continue to retain any pre-existing right to buy entitlement.

Individual Learning Accounts

Susan Deacon (Edinburgh East and Musselburgh) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in finalising the arrangements for a successor scheme to replace the individual learning accounts scheme.

Iain Gray: Work is currently progressing on the development of a successor individual learning account (ILA) scheme. I intend to launch the successor scheme when I am satisfied that it will incorporate the required improvements from the first programme. I expect to make an announcement on ILAs in the context of the wider Lifelong Learning Strategy early in 2003.

Justice

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30691 by Dr Richard Simpson on 8 November 2002, what consideration it has given, in drafting amendments to the Extradition Bill in respect of the European arrest warrant, to the decision of the English High Court of Justice in R ex parte Ramda  v  Secretary of State for the Home Department (27 June 2002) in which the court stated that since the European Court of Human Rights is not a court of appeal and there is no recourse to it as of right, the Home Secretary was not justified in relying on the European court to correct any eventual failure on the part of a foreign country to accord a fair trial to a person extradited to that country.

Hugh Henry: Clause 21 of the bill makes it clear that before the sheriff can make a decision ordering the person’s extradition, he must be satisfied that the extradition would be compatible the person’s Convention rights, including the article 6 right to a fair trial.

Natural Heritage Sites

Mr Kenneth Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in completing Scotland’s contribution to the European list of Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) designated under the EC Habitats Directive.

Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive is committed to implementing the Habitats Directive in Scotland and 229 sites have already been submitted to the European Commission.

  In June 2002 the Commission undertook an assessment of the lists of candidate SACs put forward by the UK and other member states in the Atlantic Bio-Geographic Region. Out of a total UK list of 76 habitat types and 41 species, our lists were judged to be sufficient for 54 habitats and 27 species. This compares favourably with the Commission’s initial assessment in 1999, where 40 habitats and 12 species were held to be sufficient. The Commission has requested that the UK examine the need for a limited number of additional sites for those habitats and species lists judged insufficient, some of which relate to Scotland. Scottish Executive officials have been working with Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) to examine the need for additional sites in Scotland. In a number of cases, this work has demonstrated that no appropriate sites can be identified and further proposals will not be made to the Commission. I have, however, requested SNH to consult on eight new sites and two extensions to existing sites to address the gaps identified by the Commission in the following habitat types:

  


Habitat Type 
  



Large Shallow Inlets and Bays 
  



Machairs 
  



European Dry Heath 
  



Upland sites to cover four habitats 
  



Old Sessile Oak Woods 
  



  Once SNH has completed the consultation, Scottish ministers will decide whether or not to put these sites forward to the European Commission with a view to completion of the Scottish list of terrestrial SACs. In order to meet a strict EC timetable for submission of sites by 30 April 2003, it is important that SNH initiate public consultation as early as possible, and Scottish ministers have requested that this is taken forward as a matter of priority.

  The European Commission has made the decision to delay consideration of member states’ lists of sites within the marine environment in view of the work that is currently under way to extend the network beyond 12 nautical miles. This is a matter for the UK Government, and the list of sites for these habitats and species will be assessed at a later date in light of this work.

Schools

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail any changes to the curriculum since 1999 that have had an effect on classroom, furniture, fittings and equipment requirements in schools.

Nicol Stephen: Changes to the curriculum since 1999 have been the introduction of revised 5-14 guidelines for environmental studies, health education, modern languages, information and communications technology and structure and balance.

  These need not in themselves have had any effect on classroom furniture, fittings and equipment required in schools but this is a matter for education authorities and schools depending on their individual needs and circumstances.

Scottish Executive Websites

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-31817 by Mr Andy Kerr on 5 December 2002, what methods have been used to assess the business value of the Property Pages website.

Mr Andy Kerr: The effectiveness of the Scottish Executive public sector property website is assessed by monthly examination of the volume of business on the site and meetings approximately half-yearly with officials from the Scottish Property Network who run the site for the Scottish Executive and deal with the users directly.

  Towards the end of the three-year project in 2004-05, there will be a survey of users to assess how effective a service they find it to be.

Scottish Executive Websites

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-31817 by Mr Andy Kerr on 5 December 2002, why figures for value or price are not recorded on the Property Pages website on the conclusion of a transaction on property advertised by it.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Executive does not get involved in the contents of property deals and when the transaction is concluded the organisation advertising a particular property removes the property details from the site. The Scottish Executive property pages provide a site for public sector organisations, on which to provide information on available properties.

Scottish Qualifications Authority

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many appeals against standard grade awards the Scottish Qualifications Authority received in each of the last three years and what percentage was successful.

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many appeals against higher level awards the Scottish Qualifications Authority received in each of the last three years and what percentage was successful.

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many appeals against advanced higher level awards the Scottish Qualifications Authority received in the last year and what percentage was successful.

Nicol Stephen: This is a matter for the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA). Statistics on qualifications offered or accredited by the SQA are available in the SQA’s Annual Statistical Report. The 2001 report, containing the information requested for 1997-2001, was published by SQA in June 2002. A copy has been lodged with the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 25598). The information contained in this document is also available online at: www.sqa.org.uk. The 2002 report is due to be published by SQA in May 2003.

Scottish Qualifications Authority

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of appeals received by the Scottish Qualifications Authority led to examination scripts being re-marked at (a) (i) standard grade and (ii) higher level in each of the last three years and (b) advanced higher level in the last year.

Nicol Stephen: The appeals procedure is a matter for the Scottish Qualifications Authority. The information requested is not held centrally.

Scottish Qualifications Authority

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive in what circumstances a school that has appealed against a pupil’s grade may have sight of the pupil’s examination script.

Nicol Stephen: This is a matter for the Scottish Qualifications Authority.

Scottish Qualifications Authority

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to make the Scottish Qualifications Authority appeal system more transparent and accountable.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive has given broad endorsement to a range of initiatives being undertaken by the Scottish Qualification Authority (SQA) to promote openness and understanding of assessment and awarding procedures. Implementing these initiatives is an operational matter for SQA.

Scottish Qualifications Authority

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how the length of examinations in higher level (a) modern studies, (b) history and (c) English has changed in each of the last five years and what marking system was used in each year, giving the number of marks out of which each examination was assessed.

Nicol Stephen: This is a matter for the Scottish Qualifications Authority. The information requested is not held centrally.

Sewerage

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what legislation will inform its consideration of policy on first-time connections to the sewerage system.

Ross Finnie: The Sewerage (Scotland) Act 1968.

Sewerage

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to provide any financial assistance for disadvantaged households for first-time connections to the sewerage system.

Ross Finnie: The Executive has no such plans.

Special Educational Needs

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which education authorities have a policy of opening Records of Needs for deaf children.

Cathy Jamieson: All education authorities have a duty to open a Record of Needs for any child in their area, including those with hearing impairment, who meet the statutory criteria. A Record of Needs must be opened for any child, who is two years of age or over, but under school leaving age, and who has pronounced, specific or complex special educational needs which require continuing review.

Special Educational Needs

Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-31897 by Cathy Jamieson on 5 December 2002, how many parents were nominated for membership of the Special Educational Needs Advisory Forum.

Cathy Jamieson: It is not known how many of the original 68 nominations for membership of the forum have children. The current membership of the forum includes many parents, some of whom have children with special educational needs. The main purpose of the forum is to offer strategic advice to Scottish ministers on the development and implementation of policies to improve standards of provision for special educational needs across Scotland.

Teachers

Susan Deacon (Edinburgh East and Musselburgh) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance exists on the procedures for filling permanent vacancies for teaching posts in schools in the light of the McCrone agreement.

Nicol Stephen: Local authorities are responsible for the recruitment and deployment of teachers.

  Under section 4.1 of the agreement, A Teaching Profession for the 21st Century, local authorities own policy is that permanent contracts will only be offered to fully registered teachers.

Teachers

Susan Deacon (Edinburgh East and Musselburgh) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what monitoring has been carried out into the impact of the appointment of first year probationer teachers under the McCrone agreement on the employment of teachers that had previously been on temporary contracts.

Nicol Stephen: A research project has been commissioned into supply teaching including probationers who qualified in 2001. The aims of the project are to help develop good practice for local authorities in the use of supply teaching and to examine the dynamics of the supply market. The project started in October 2002 and is expected to report by August 2003.

Teachers

Susan Deacon (Edinburgh East and Musselburgh) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are in place to ensure that the new arrangements for the appointment of first year probationer teachers under the McCrone agreement are consistently applied across all local authorities.

Nicol Stephen: The General Teaching Council for Scotland, the professional body for teachers, has issued to local authorities criteria to be used when establishing a training post for probationer teachers.

Teachers

Susan Deacon (Edinburgh East and Musselburgh) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance will be given to local authorities regarding the advertising of teacher vacancies for the 2003-04 session to ensure that teachers currently on temporary or supply contracts have the same opportunities to apply as those that have just completed their probationer year.

Nicol Stephen: The recruitment and advertising of teaching vacancies by local authorities is not a matter for the Scottish Executive. However, we understand that local authorities will advertise and fill vacancies in the normal way, thus ensuring equal opportunity for all.

Water Charges

Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider removing some of the eligibility criteria for the water charges exemption scheme administered by Scottish Water in order to ensure maximum eligibility of charities.

Ross Finnie: The water charges exemption scheme was set up to assist charities and voluntary organisations affected by withdrawal of relief on water and sewerage charges. The scheme’s eligibility criteria are intended to target assistance on those bodies with relatively low incomes. I have no plans to alter the criteria.

  Those bodies affected by withdrawal that do not satisfy the criteria but which can demonstrate hardship arising as a result of withdrawal can apply for support from the hardship fund run by the Scottish Community Foundation.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Holyrood Project

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre a detailed statement setting out the prospects of recovery of some, or all, of the losses from Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd and Flour City International Inc. under (a) the parent company guarantee or (b) any other means; whether such recovery would entail litigation and, if so, what the costs of such litigation may be and whether such litigation would be financially worthwhile; what the total cost to date is of legal expenses paid and incurred and not yet invoiced, and whether such expenditure has been financially worthwhile.

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer, further to the answer to question S1W-30339 on 4 November 2002, whether further updated information in respect of the finances of, and assets owned by, Flour City International Inc. is now available and whether a copy of such information can now be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Sir David Steel: A report has been received from Shepherd and Wedderburn. I shall write to you further early in January.

Language Policy

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer what efforts are being made to publicise the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body’s language policy and ensure that it is complied with.

Sir David Steel: The language policy is available on the Parliament’s Intranet for staff and members to consult. A SPICe Briefing Paper is in preparation, which will include the language policy as an appendix. A press release will be issued when the briefing is published on the website, which is likely to be towards the end of January.